Crazy Numbers

[Miemie]

Hi guys

Just a question, again! For the past 2 weeks I've been monitoring fasting bg and post meal (1 & 2 hour). And for the past 2 weeks it's been quite normal. Highest fasting 88.2 and post meal 1 hr 133.2, 2 hrs about 90. It is actually lower than usual now, this is quite the opposite as to when I was diagnosed.

I am not on any medication, not very active at the moment, am looking at my diet though. What I do note though, is that my bg is very up and down. For eg. after 20 min 133, in an hour sometimes down to 90 and then it tends to go up again to about 124 after 2 hours.

Has anyone else experienced this?

[Ronin]

Hi Miemie

What you are learning is how your body manages carbohydrates. The first lesson is that not all carbs come from your diet. The liver is a fantastic chemical factory that is quite able to fabricate glycogen all by itself. It is also the warehouse for up to five pounds of glycogen storage. Yes, the liver also produces a number of other chemicals including cholesterols (there is a link between bad cholesterol numbers and glucose consumption).

Your body has a complex signaling mechanism that tells your liver when to take up or release glucose. This happens all day long as you use energy (that is usually glucose) to think, walk, exercise, pump blood, -- all of your bodily functions.

What is becoming clear, particularly in the Pre-D community, is that the signals are not exactly right. This may be an environmental effect (i.e., too much glucose throws off the control mechanism) or it may be genetic. Either way the body is trying, desperately trying in some cases, to mantain a balance (homeostasis to use the scientific term). So, during the day your BG readings go up-and-down often without you actually ingesting any carbs.

There is the infamous Dawn Phenomenon where after a night of sleep your BG is higher than it was when you went to bed. There is the post exercise spike in BG levels as well as the post prandial drop as your body digests food eaten. All of this is happening with little regard to the specifics of exactly what you eat.

This is the reason for a total life-style change. More than just diet, exercise, sleep patterns, even stress reduction can change your BG profile. Science understands the basic processes but cannot predict how any individual will react to the variety of stimulus that you get from the way you live and eat.

The best thing that you will learn is how your body works.

[Miemie]

Hi Ronin,

Thanks again for your reply. I am quite new to this, and must still learn what is good and what is bad for me. I was just wondering if maybe it was a mis-diagnosis, because all seems fine now, but my HBA1C was 5.8%.

[Ronin]

Hi Miemie!

An HbA1c of 5.8% isn't terrible but it does indicate that your average BG level for the past 14 to 90 days has been close to abnormal. (Note: the HbA1c is a weighted average -- red blood cells can live up to 90 days but the highest percentage are 14 days old or less)

The question becomes: what do you do with that information? Changes, moderate changes to your diet and exercise patterns can, and probaly will, bring that average down. You can also check to see how your daily checks balance with the HbA1c results (there is a fomula to convert HbA1c numbers into mg/dl, but I have forgotten how it is calculated).

Given the recent diagnosis you are still in the early learning stages. You can turn back the clock so to speak. I say this from personal experience that it is possible to "normalize" your BG levels through lifestyle modifications. (Okay I'm an obessive bicyclist who is also retired so I have loads of time to ride my bike and therefore burn huge amounts of energy -- I realize that most people don't have that much time to exercise.)

Keep learning and keep asking questions.

[xMenace]

Science understands the basic processes but cannot predict how any individual will react to the variety of stimulus that you get from the way you live and eat.

Great post Ronin. I'm learning first hand new ways that this factory adjusts its output. My diet changes have needed more than simple adjustments.

[Miemie]

You're right Ronin. Like I've said, I must really concentrate on the exercise part. I work full day, and only get home at about 18:00 at night, so it's really an effort for me at this stage to exercise, and I have two small kiddies (6 & 8).

But, I'm going to stop with the excuses now, and just start. I also have funny symptoms for the past 3 months after I eat, I get heart palpitations and dizziness for about an hour to two hours after I've eaten. I think I am so desperate to find out what is causing it, that I'm probably making things worse for myself.

The dr says it's not the bg levels that can cause it, although my bp is also a bit on the high side. But I've made an appointment with the Endo in September, to hear what she says.

[genie86333]

Just a question, again! For the past 2 weeks I've been monitoring fasting bg and post meal (1 & 2 hour). And for the past 2 weeks it's been quite normal. Highest fasting 88.2 and post meal 1 hr 133.2, 2 hrs about 90. It is actually lower than usual now, this is quite the opposite as to when I was diagnosed.

Ok, I'm a bit confused... :confused:

You're showing your high (not average) fbs as 88.2 - Either that's so high that you should be dead or at least unconcious (88.2 mmol/L :eek: ) or you've got a meter of a type I've never seen (88.2 mg/dl) because I've never seen a meter that measures mg/dl to 1/10 of a point...maybe they're just not available in the US? :confused:

[Miemie]

mghi genie, sorry its confusing, I have a mmol/l meter but used a converter to convert to mg/dl

[genie86333]

Ah, OK, that explains it!

As for exercise...a walk's a good start - and include the kids! It's a good habit for them to get into while they're young. (I just hope you're not a super-fast walker for their sake...when I was a kid I couldn't keep up with my dad - he was blind so we walked everywhere...or I should say he walked...I had to run!)

[Miemie]

Hi genie, we do go for walks in the evening, and fortunately for the kids I can't walk that fast because I'm only 1.54m, so they keep up :).

But thank you for your advise, will definitely keep it up